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According to Cointelegraph: Artificial intelligence (AI) and big data tokens have surged in value, fueled by renewed investor confidence during Bitcoin's rally to record highs.Market Capitalization Climbs Over $42 BillionThe total market capitalization of AI and big data crypto projects soared to $42.1 billion on Nov. 19, marking a 131.4% increase since their yearly low on June 8, according to Cointelegraph Markets Pro and CoinMarketCap. Leading the recovery are notable tokens such as Near Protocol (NEAR), Internet Computer (ICP), and Render (RENDER).This resurgence aligns with Bitcoin’s continued bull run and growing clarity around crypto regulations in several jurisdictions.AI Tokens Rebound SharplyAI tokens faced a steady decline in the first half of 2024, with their market capitalization dropping from a March 15 peak of $45 billion to $18.2 billion by June 8. However, the sector has staged a dramatic turnaround, reclaiming much of its value in the past six months. Analysts predict the AI token market could break its previous record of $45 billion by the end of November.Other major tokens contributing to the sector's growth include:Bittensor (TAO)Artificial Superintelligence Alliance (FET)Injective (INJ)The Graph (GRT)Theta Network (THETA)Akash Network (AKT)Crypto Market Surpasses Traditional Financial GiantsThe cumulative cryptocurrency market capitalization stands at $3.09 trillion, with AI and big data tokens accounting for 1.36% of the total market—highlighting significant potential for future growth.In a milestone for decentralized finance, Ethereum (ETH) recently surpassed Bank of America in market capitalization, with ETH valued at approximately $383 billion compared to Bank of America's $346 billion. This signals the growing adoption of crypto assets and decentralized finance within the global financial system.What’s Driving the Surge?The rally in AI and big data tokens is attributed to:Bitcoin's bull run: Renewed confidence in the crypto sector has spurred capital inflows.Regulatory clarity: Positive developments in several jurisdictions have reassured investors.Improved sentiment: The absence of major ecosystem collapses has stabilized market conditions.As the AI token market continues its recovery, the broader crypto industry’s ability to outperform traditional financial giants underscores its growing acceptance and transformative potential.

According to Odaily, a recent survey conducted by software asset management company Flexera reveals significant insights into the IT priorities of leaders from the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, and Australia. The 2025 IT Priorities Report, based on responses from 800 IT decision-makers, highlights how these leaders plan to allocate resources in the coming year. Among the top technology vendors, 37% of surveyed IT leaders indicated that they are currently investing or plan to invest the most in OpenAI either this year or next. OpenAI ranks fourth, following Microsoft, Google, and Amazon Web Services, and is tied with Oracle. Notably, this marks the first time OpenAI has appeared as an option in the survey, and participants were allowed to select multiple options. The report attributes OpenAI's strong position to its ability to collaborate with enterprises and enable employees to develop customized AI solutions, giving the company a competitive edge in the AI consulting sector. Additionally, the survey found that 42% of IT leaders believe integrating AI will bring the most significant changes to their organizations. Meanwhile, 26% of respondents see AI as a means to reduce security risks, and 25% believe it will help lower IT costs.

According to Cointelegraph, the Financial Stability Board (FSB), an international organization that oversees and advises on the global financial system, has released a paper examining the effects of artificial intelligence (AI) on financial services and strategies to mitigate associated risks. On November 14, the FSB published a document titled "The Financial Stability Implications of Artificial Intelligence," which delves into how AI could transform global financial systems and infrastructure. The FSB acknowledges that AI offers numerous advantages, such as boosting operational efficiency, customizing products, enhancing regulatory compliance, and providing sophisticated data analytics. However, the organization also warns that AI could "amplify" vulnerabilities within the financial sector. Key concerns include third-party dependencies, concentration of service providers, cyber risks, market correlations, model risks, and issues related to data quality and governance. Additionally, the FSB highlights the potential for malicious actors to exploit generative AI for fraudulent activities, noting that misaligned AI systems could engage in behavior detrimental to financial stability. In response to these findings, the FSB suggests several measures to mitigate AI-related risks in finance. These include addressing data and information gaps in monitoring AI developments and encouraging regulators to "intensify their engagement" with the private sector, including service providers, developers, and academics. The FSB also emphasizes the need for authorities to evaluate whether existing regulatory frameworks are sufficient to address both local and international vulnerabilities. Furthermore, regulators should explore ways to enhance supervisory and regulatory capabilities to effectively oversee policy frameworks related to AI use in the financial sector.

According to Foresight News, OpenAI is reportedly planning to introduce a new AI tool called Operator in early 2025. This tool is designed to perform tasks traditionally done by humans, such as coding and booking travel, by utilizing computer capabilities. During a recent staff meeting, OpenAI's leadership announced their intention to release Operator in a research preview version by January 2025. The tool will be accessible to developers through the company's application programming interface (API), allowing them to integrate and test its functionalities. This development marks a significant step in OpenAI's efforts to enhance AI-driven automation and expand the practical applications of artificial intelligence in various industries. The introduction of Operator is expected to provide developers with new opportunities to leverage AI for complex tasks, potentially transforming how businesses and individuals approach problem-solving and task management. OpenAI's commitment to advancing AI technology continues to drive innovation and exploration in the field, with Operator poised to be a key component of their future offerings.

According to TechCrunch, Lilian Weng, a leading safety researcher at OpenAI, announced her departure from the company. Weng, who served as Vice President of Research and Safety, revealed her decision on Friday, stating she is ready to explore new opportunities after seven years with the startup. Her last day will be November 15th, though she has not disclosed her future plans. Weng expressed pride in the achievements of the Safety Systems team and confidence in their continued success. Weng's exit is part of a broader trend of departures from OpenAI, with several AI safety and policy researchers leaving the company over the past year. Some have criticized OpenAI for prioritizing commercial interests over AI safety. Weng joins other notable figures such as Ilya Sutskever and Jan Leike, who also left OpenAI this year to focus on AI safety elsewhere. Weng initially joined OpenAI in 2018, contributing to the robotics team that developed a robot hand capable of solving a Rubik's cube. As OpenAI shifted its focus to the GPT paradigm, Weng transitioned to building the applied AI research team in 2021 and later led the creation of a dedicated safety systems team in 2023. Despite the growth of OpenAI's safety systems unit, which now includes over 80 scientists, researchers, and policy experts, concerns persist about the company's commitment to safety as it develops more powerful AI systems. Miles Brundage, a former policy researcher, left OpenAI in October, citing the dissolution of the AGI readiness team he advised. Additionally, former researcher Suchir Balaji expressed concerns about the potential societal harm of OpenAI's technology. OpenAI has stated that it is working on a transition plan to replace Weng and emphasized the importance of the Safety Systems team in ensuring the safety and reliability of its AI systems. Other recent departures from OpenAI include CTO Mira Murati, Chief Research Officer Bob McGrew, and Research VP Barret Zoph. In August, prominent researcher Andrej Karpathy and co-founder John Schulman also announced their exits. Some of these individuals, including Leike and Schulman, have joined OpenAI competitor Anthropic, while others have pursued their own ventures.

According to Odaily, OpenAI has introduced a new plugin called SearchGPT for the Chrome browser. This innovative tool is designed to enhance the user's search experience by summarizing search results in real-time. When users search for information using Chrome, the SearchGPT plugin provides synchronized summaries of the search results, allowing for a more streamlined and efficient information retrieval process. In addition to summarizing search results, the SearchGPT plugin is capable of answering follow-up questions, offering users a more interactive and engaging search experience. This feature is particularly beneficial for users seeking detailed information or clarification on specific topics. Furthermore, the plugin personalizes content recommendations based on the user's search history and preferences, ensuring that the information provided is relevant and tailored to individual needs. The introduction of SearchGPT marks a significant advancement in the integration of artificial intelligence with web browsing, offering users a more intuitive and personalized way to access information. By leveraging AI technology, OpenAI aims to transform the way users interact with search engines, making the process more efficient and user-friendly. This development is expected to have a considerable impact on how information is accessed and consumed online, setting a new standard for search engine capabilities.

According to PANews, OpenAI has acknowledged reports of users experiencing temporary access issues with ChatGPT. The company is actively investigating the problem and working towards restoring full functionality. As of 19:09 local time (UTC+8), users have reported a total of 18,711 incidents of service disruption. OpenAI is committed to resolving these issues promptly to ensure users can access ChatGPT without interruptions.

According to TechCrunch, Amazon is contemplating a significant increase in its investment in Anthropic, a competitor to OpenAI. The tech giant is reportedly in discussions to invest several billion dollars in Anthropic, marking its first financial commitment to the company since a $4 billion agreement was reached last year. This potential new investment is structured similarly to the previous one, but with a notable difference. Amazon is pushing for Anthropic to utilize Amazon-developed silicon, hosted on Amazon Web Services, for training its artificial intelligence systems. However, Anthropic has shown a preference for using Nvidia chips. Despite this, the financial offer from Amazon might be too substantial for Anthropic to decline. Earlier this year, Anthropic projected that it would expend over $2.7 billion in 2024 as it continues to develop and expand its AI products. The company has been in talks for several months to secure new funding at a valuation of $40 billion, according to The Information. This places considerable pressure on Anthropic to finalize a deal soon. To date, Anthropic has successfully raised $9.7 billion, which is nearly half of the $21.9 billion raised by its rival, OpenAI. The ongoing negotiations and potential investment from Amazon could significantly impact Anthropic's growth trajectory and its competitive stance in the AI industry.

According to TechCrunch, Anthropic has announced a collaboration with data analytics firm Palantir and Amazon Web Services (AWS) to provide U.S. intelligence and defense agencies access to its Claude family of AI models. This partnership is part of a broader trend where AI vendors are increasingly seeking to establish relationships with U.S. defense customers for strategic and financial benefits. Recently, Meta made its Llama models available to defense partners, and OpenAI is working to strengthen its ties with the U.S. Defense Department. Anthropic's head of sales, Kate Earle Jensen, highlighted that the collaboration with Palantir and AWS will enable the operational use of Claude within Palantir’s platform, utilizing AWS hosting. Claude became accessible on Palantir’s platform earlier this month and can now be used in Palantir’s defense-accredited environment, Palantir Impact Level 6 (IL6). The Defense Department’s IL6 is designated for systems containing data critical to national security, requiring maximum protection against unauthorized access and tampering. Information in IL6 systems can be classified up to the “secret” level, just below top secret. Jensen expressed pride in leading the effort to bring responsible AI solutions to U.S. classified environments, enhancing analytical capabilities and operational efficiencies in crucial government operations. Access to Claude within Palantir on AWS will provide U.S. defense and intelligence organizations with powerful AI tools capable of rapidly processing and analyzing vast amounts of complex data. This advancement is expected to significantly improve intelligence analysis, aid decision-making processes, streamline resource-intensive tasks, and boost operational efficiency across departments. Earlier this year, Anthropic introduced select Claude models to AWS’ GovCloud, indicating its ambition to expand its public-sector client base. GovCloud is AWS’ service designed for U.S. government cloud workloads. Anthropic positions itself as a safety-conscious vendor compared to OpenAI. However, its terms of service allow its products to be used for tasks such as legally authorized foreign intelligence analysis, identifying covert influence or sabotage campaigns, and providing warnings of potential military activities. The company tailors use restrictions based on the mission and legal authorities of a government entity, considering factors like the agency’s willingness to engage in ongoing dialogue. Despite the growing interest in AI from government agencies, as evidenced by a Brookings Institute analysis showing a 1,200% increase in AI-related government contracts, some branches like the U.S. military remain cautious about adopting the technology due to skepticism about its return on investment. Anthropic, which recently expanded to Europe, is reportedly in discussions to raise a new round of funding at a valuation of up to $40 billion, having raised approximately $7.6 billion to date, with Amazon as its largest investor.

According to ShibDaily, the Hong Kong Financial Services and Treasury Bureau (FSTB) has unveiled a policy framework aimed at promoting responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) within the financial services sector. The bureau, which is tasked with formulating and implementing financial policies, highlighted the importance of AI in enhancing efficiency, security, and customer service standards across the industry. The FSTB proposed a 'dual-track approach' to encourage AI innovation while addressing potential challenges. The policy statement indicates that Hong Kong’s financial services industry, encompassing banking, securities, insurance, accounting, pension fund management, and green finance, is well-equipped to integrate AI into its operations. The FSTB plans to collaborate with financial regulators and service providers to ensure the secure and effective adoption of AI technology. This initiative is described as a 'balancing act' aimed at capturing opportunities and mitigating risks associated with AI. The bureau identified six key areas where AI applications could benefit the financial industry: research and data analysis, investment strategy development, customer service enhancements, automated risk assessments, crime detection and prevention, and workflow automation. These areas represent a focused strategy to leverage AI for addressing specific industry needs, from streamlining operations to improving customer interactions. As AI adoption advances, the FSTB stressed the importance of establishing a supervisory framework to protect stakeholders and mitigate potential disruptions, such as job displacement and intellectual property rights concerns. The bureau’s approach ensures that AI technologies are adopted with comprehensive safeguards for all participants within Hong Kong’s financial ecosystem. In addition to the FSTB’s policy announcement, the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) is expected to provide further regulatory guidance on AI. A circular scheduled for November will outline specific compliance obligations and associated risks, offering financial institutions more detailed requirements for integrating AI technology. Furthermore, the SFC has recently partnered with the Customs and Excise Department (C&ED) to enhance oversight of cryptocurrency over-the-counter (OTC) trading, a service facilitating private cryptocurrency transactions. This regulatory initiative builds on earlier proposals to introduce a licensing regime for cryptocurrency OTC services, initially planned for the C&ED alone. The collaborative regulatory efforts of the FSTB and SFC indicate a structured approach to AI adoption across financial services, with a clear emphasis on balancing innovation with protective measures for stakeholders.

According to Odaily, AI startup Anysphere has received investment offers from venture capital firms, valuing the company at approximately $2.5 billion. This valuation marks a significant increase, more than six times higher than a transaction that took place around four months ago. Anysphere is known for developing Cursor, an AI coding assistant partially powered by OpenAI technology.In related developments, Mercor, a human resources provider for contractors sought by OpenAI and other AI developers, is in discussions with investors to raise at least $100 million. This funding round could value Mercor at up to $2 billion, which is eight times higher than its valuation six months ago.

According to Odaily, artificial intelligence startup Perplexity AI is on the verge of completing a significant $500 million funding round. This latest investment is anticipated to elevate the company's valuation to approximately $9 billion. Institutional Venture Partners (IVP) is leading this funding round, and as part of the agreement, IVP will appoint a senior executive to join Perplexity's board of directors.In January, Perplexity AI successfully secured $73.6 million in a Series B funding round, which valued the company at around $520 million at that time. This substantial increase in valuation highlights the rapid growth and potential of Perplexity AI in the competitive AI industry. The involvement of IVP, a prominent venture capital firm, underscores the confidence investors have in Perplexity's future prospects and its innovative approach to artificial intelligence solutions.

According to Foresight News, the artificial intelligence startup Physical Intelligence is set to announce a significant funding round of $400 million on Monday. This investment round is led by Jeff Bezos, with participation from notable venture capital firms such as Thrive Capital and Lux Capital. Other investors in this round include OpenAI, Redpoint Ventures, and Bond.The substantial investment highlights the growing interest and confidence in the potential of artificial intelligence technologies. Physical Intelligence, which has been gaining attention in the tech industry, aims to leverage this funding to further develop its AI capabilities and expand its market presence. The involvement of high-profile investors like Jeff Bezos and OpenAI underscores the strategic importance of AI advancements in various sectors.This funding round is expected to accelerate the company's growth and innovation efforts, positioning it as a key player in the AI landscape. As the demand for AI solutions continues to rise, Physical Intelligence's latest financial backing could play a crucial role in shaping the future of AI applications.

According to Blockworks, the success of GOAT has sparked a new trend in the cryptocurrency market: AI memecoins. While it remains uncertain whether this trend will last, it has certainly caught the attention of those active in the crypto space. K33 analyst David Zimmerman highlighted that the true test for GOAT and its associated tokens will come after the first major selloff. As the market engages in price discovery, debates about the substance of this new narrative are intensifying on social media platforms like X.Zimmerman and K33 emphasize that the longevity of AI memecoins is not the primary concern. Instead, they view these tokens as momentum-trade opportunities. Crypto often generates new narratives, which can generally be reduced to momentum or volatility. Zimmerman noted that GOAT has exhibited significant price movements backed by substantial trading volume, despite being a relatively small on-chain token.When comparing AI memecoins to established tokens like DOGE and PEPE, Zimmerman pointed out that AI memecoins still have a long way to go. His advice is to ignore the surrounding noise. If the optimistic views on AI memecoins prove accurate, this could mark the beginning of a new period of opportunities similar to the DeFi Summer of 2020. However, if the trend does not sustain, investors may find themselves holding devalued AI memecoins.The article also encourages readers to stay informed with top crypto insights and explore the intersection of crypto, macroeconomics, policy, and finance through various newsletters offered by Blockworks.